Carr Business Systems Reviews

Current Employee – been working at Carr Business Systems

Pros – The new executive team that came on about a year ago, is very genuine about getting feedback from employees to put an action plan in place for the company. They are bringing a lot of change that has been long overdue and working on developing the talent from within. I have had some challenges at times but appreciate that they have always heard me out and helped me to learn so that I can work through it. I know that I am at a better place in my career now than I was a couple years ago and making more money for my family.

Cons – There were a lot of changes over the last year which took away from the small company feel of the past but at the same time, the new management team has really pulled the company in an exciting direction and we are all enjoying the opportunities that are coming with the growth.

Advice to Senior Management – Keep developing within and giving opportunities for current employees to step up to larger roles.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Carr Business Systems full-time for less than a year

Pros – Stepping stone towards better job.

Cons – I was very excited to start a career in sales with Carr Xerox, little did I know it would be one of the worst experiences of my life. Training is a joke - you are taught to memorize ridiculous scripts that make you sound more like a robot than an educated individual. You are not taught about selling, rather they focus on the "Carr 360 approach" which would make most clients sitting through a presentation turned off. Get to the point. Expect to work 8am latest to at least 6pm everyday which is definitely not portrayed when going through the hiring process. Work life balance expectation non existent. New management was awful - some "teams" have much more flexibility than others. In my case, I was watched like a hawk making me feel as though I was incompetent to do my own work in my own creative way. Ridiculous expectations with cold calls on the phone even when you are doing your job (100+ a week on top of all the other work the job entails). Speaking of work, as for paperwork for potential deals which common sense would say is a big part of the job - don't do it between 9am and 4pm. You are forced to do important and necessary paperwork on your own time after hours. There is no sense of trust in this facility and any time help was needed you were usually just brushed off and told to focus on other things when in fact the issue at hand was important. Highly unethical behavior was also demonstrated here on many instances which made me feel very uncomfortable in the workplace itself. When weather was bad it didn't matter - "on the road no matter what mentality." Safety of employees not really a concern. Oh, and do not post your resume on Careerbuilder or you will be questioned by management. I wouldn't recommend this place to an enemy. Advice: if you are looking to get into sales go somewhere else. If you are set on Copiers there are plenty of other companies out there.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Carr Business Systems full-time for less than a year

Pros – I suppose the most prudent thing to start with is the length of time I was employed by CARR. I worked as an Account Executive at the Manhattan office for close to five months, at which point I witnessed an overabundance of managerial, cultural, and ethical problems. The company has been in business for quite some time, but is currently weathering a serious class action lawsuit as well as an executive and management overhaul. These factors (as well as others that I will discuss in the 'Cons' section) forced me to seek other job opportunities and ultimately leave this company.

In my opinion this company lacks any significant 'Pros,' and rather appeals to a workforce that is obsessed with earning quick money (and easily misguided to pursue that end through unethical actions and behaviors). One could argue that they offer the opportunity to sell Xerox products (which are already well branded). However, this acts as quite a substantial obstacle due to the premium price that Xerox products demand.

Cons – Since there are quite a few substantial issues with this company, I will address each of them individually:

Pay Structure: As an Account Executive, you are given a base salary of $30,000 / year plus commissions on every sale. Initially this sounds appealing, but after further understanding of just how the pay structure works, it becomes more and more evident that this is a very difficult company and industry to make an honest living in. Additionally, commissions are not based on the percentage of the overall sale, but rather a percentage of the "profit" you can add to the total sale. Essentially, this means that as an Account Executive you must add substantial amounts of money to the final proposal price to see a commission of the sale. With this in mind, "added value" is the true catalyst behind driving sales. However, while CARR may have a favorable response reputation, it fails miserably when trying to accurately diagnose and solve each respective problem. Something else to be aware of is the fact that the percentage of profit paid to the Account Executive lessens with return clients.

Training: This is something that CARR tries to market as a very effective 'pro.' However, the training (which is a five week course) is extremely repetitive and does not allow room for any personal creativity or success practices. CARR is obsessed with the "repeatable process" and quantity takes precedent over quality. Trainees are taught generic telephone and meeting scripts, and are supposed to trust that every objection/situation can be correctly handled through this system. In fact, trainers (which monitor personnel even after the training period) correct individuals who use their own intuition and skills to find success.

Management: CARR recently experienced a management overhaul due to unethical practices regarding how the company recorded and generated sales (http://business.highbeam.com/company-profiles/info/1157607/carr-business-systems-inc). The current President, David Herbine, seems to be the right man to right the ship, but has to change the entire culture of the company to do so.

Employee Retention: CARR has an abysmal employee retention percentage. During my five month stint at CARR, I witnessed fourteen people leave (abruptly - no one gave notice) for other job opportunities, and three people were terminated. This is quite a staggering number and speaks to CARR's cultural, ethical, and managerial problems. Employees are drawn to the company because of the promise of opportunity, but quickly discover that this company lacks enough opportunity to justify the employment commitment. The vast majority of the employees are extremely dissatisfied, and use CARR as a means for staying afloat while seeking more fruitful opportunities. Morale is extremely low, and people are constantly on watch not only for which people are leaving, but where they are going.

Sales Structure: The sales structure is quite problematic at CARR, especially when trying to push Xerox equipment. Since Xerox is a premium brand, it comes at a premium price - which makes sense. However, since CARR Account Executives must ADD unjustifiable dollars to the final sale to make a commission percentage, it is difficult to close the sale.

I hope this helps. I wrote this review not to satisfy personal feelings towards the company, but rather to warn college graduates and serious professionals from wasting their time. You do not learn much while at this company, and certainly do not get significant experience that can be used later in your career.

Advice to Senior Management – Changing the culture of a company cannot be accomplished with rhetoric that lacks implementation. There needs to be mutual trust between sales staff and upper management. Additionally, acknowledging the limitations of your current sales structure would not only help sales numbers grow, but would also increase employee morale.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at Carr Business Systems

Pros – Great product, customer base and Xerox Brand. Long history in the market and loyal customers.

Convenient locations and resources for service model.

Cons – Lack of vision and communication for company growth. No formal review process for employee promotion and development. Lack of focus on Core Business Strategy resulting in decline in customer service levels and customer satisfaction.

Advice to Senior Management – Focus building a sustainable business model that leverages the customer experience and promotes employee motivation. People who are proactively challenged and developed build great companies!

Current Employee – been working at Carr Business Systems

Pros – Good People and products that are sold and supported

Cons – Company changes in the future

Advice to Senior Management – Great management personel

Former Employee – worked at Carr Business Systems

Pros – I worked for Carr for 19yrs. It was a wonderful experience. Like all companies, Carr has it's ups and downs...but the downs are LOW and the ups are incredibly HIGH! Great place to work!

Cons – Like I said in the Pros....all companies have it's ups and downs. I haven't been there in a few years...so I really can't describe the cons.

Advice to Senior Management – Concentrate on the reaching goals...not trying to please every single "idea" that someone comes up with. It is imperative that you concentrate on customer relations and customer satisfaction as that is what drives the company and will allow you to reach your goals!

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Carr Business Systems

Pros – Great leadership, and the company is driven by dedicated employees that want the best for the company. The company takes very good care of its employees and customer base.

Cons – At times can be quite stressful. Being a public company has its pros and cons. Carr is the big boy on the block. The jealous competition is always looking to knock off the best.

Advice to Senior Management – Keep pushing and they will reach their goals. Nothing else left to say at this particular time. That is it.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Carr Business Systems

Pros – The company offers decent and is backed by a Xerox so overall its healthy, most of its employees are good people and the atmosphere can be pleasant.

Cons – Most of the management is incredibly incompetent and out of touch, the senior executives are empty suits. Compared to other companies you are incredibly under paid.

Advice to Senior Management – advice to management would be to control the revolving door stop micro managing. Stop over promising and under delivering and stop painting a picture of employment that isn't so..

Former Employee – worked at Carr Business Systems full-time

Pros – Conditions have improved (seemingly as an effort to reduce shockingly high turnover) setting their base salaries in the low end of "competitive", (formerly the bases were just flat out poor). Also, large customer base and managers who know how to close help sales people start making money quickly.

Cons – An out-of-touch training program will make you feel like you're in 3rd grade instead of a sales professional. Order processing is so incompetent that most customers have a poor initial experience, and create massive headaches for account managers. You have to fight accounts payable every step of the way to get paid the commissions you deserve...which are never, ever paid on time. Advancement opportunities are limited and slow to see fruition. Also, the copier industry itself is dying and not a good choice for entrepreneurial salespeople who are looking to build long-term roots with a company.

Advice to Senior Management – Continue to improve conditions for employees. Foster a culture of respect and professionalism.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend